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Banjo is Back!
Banjo is Back! is a fan game released for the Xbox Syndicate. It is the fourth traditional installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series, the fifth in the series' timeline (following Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts) and the sixth in the series overall. Plot One morning in Spiral Mountain, Banjo and Kazooie check the mailbox to find a letter that reads: "Violets are blue, roses are red, We're coming aboard, prepare to eat lead." Suddenly, the duo are bombarded with cannonballs, thanks to Captain Blackeye, who claims Spiral Mountain is rightfully his. Banjo shows him the deed to Spiral Mountain (which they were able to win after defeating Gruntilda in Nuts & Bolts), but Captain Blackeye swipes it from him at the last second, and blasts both Banjo and Kazooie away with a large Cannonball. Later, out at sea, Banjo and Kazooie end up on the Salty Hippo, where they meet Captain Blubber. To their surprise, Captain Blubber apparently used to be Captain Blackeye's first mate/best friend, but quit the pirate crew after Blackeye got too greedy. Banjo and Kazooie disccover that Captain Blubber has his own first mate: the duo's arch nemesis, Gruntilda. The rhyming witch claims to have seen the error of her ways and is willing to help Banjo and Kazooie take down Captain Blackeye. The journey itself is far from easy, however, as the trio is bombarded with visits from numerous bosses, namely a group of Evil Sandwiches created by none other than Captain Blackeye's cabin boy, Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy. Fortunately, our heroes (literally) eat their way through these formidable foes and continue on their Jiggy-collecting quest. With enough Jiggies, the trio, along with Captain Blubber, finally make it to Spiral Mountain. However, it is no longer the familar stomping grounds Banjo and Kazooie are used to, as it has been transformed into Captain Blackeye's personal amusement park, Coneybeard Island. Grunty is epsecially shocked to see that her old lair has been converted into the park' main attraction, the Fortress of Fun, and is more than happy to help her former enemies take down Blackeye (in hopes of having her lair restored to its former glory). Upon arriving at the top of the Fortress of Fun, they are ready to challenge Blackeye. Unfortunately, they discover that Blackeye isn't there. Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy, however, arrives in his place, attempting to stop the trio after they had defeated his army of Evil Sandwiches. Chuck's secret is revealed after Grunty manages to (literally) knock his block off; aparently he nothing more than a talking sandwich that had been piloting a large robot suit to make himself look bigger. Banjo and Kazooie use Chuck's robot suit to break open the door to Banjo's house, where Blackeye himself is seen sitting comfortably in Banjo's chair. Blackeye applauds Banjo for making it this far, but insists he will never get the deed back. Kazooie claims they will kick his "sorry, salty butt" with Chuck's robot suit, but Blackeye reveals he has transformed Banjo's house into his own robot suit, one larger than Chuck's. The bear and bird duo use Chuck's suit to take down Captain Blackeye (and, in the process, destroy Banjo's house). To their surprise, Blackeye is revealed to have been Banjo's sister Tooty, who had been controlling a wooden puppet dressed as a pirate the whole time. Tooty explains that Banjo was never there to bring her on his adventures and so she planned to take over Spiral Mountain so she can lure Banjo into "the ultimate adventure". Banjo regrets not being there for Tooty and promises to take her on adventures from now on. However, Gruntilda steps in and uses a spell to turn Tooty into a block of moldy cheese, which she manages to eat with a single bite. Banjo is furious with Grunty and tells her to undo the spell, but Grunty refuses, saying the entire game as all part of her evil plan to convince Tooty to be evil so she can eat her and finally steal her beauty. Gameplay Banjo is Back! is a 3D collect-a-thon platformer. The game eschews the vehicle building mechanic from Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts in favor of the more traditional Banjo-Kazooie format, the likes of which had not been present since Banjo-Kazooie Grunty’s Revenge for the GBA. The game consists of a selection of large free-roaming worlds, known as Islands. that can be explored. On each Island, there are shiny jigsaw pieces, called Jiggies, that are obtained by meeting objectives or by locating them in areas that are difficult to reach. Most of the Jiggies also need to be obtained by utilizing one of Banjo and Kazooie's abilities. Aside from Jiggies, there are other items and objects to interact with. Notes function as currency, there are Warp Pads which transport Banjo and Kazooie to key points within Islands quickly (if at least two are activated). Players can also visit Humba Wumba in her wigwam. She reprises her role from Banjo-Tooie by using her magic spells to transform the bear and bird duo into a variety of forms that change their appearance and give them new abilities, but each Transformation is exclusive to each world and cannot be brought into another world. Differences in gameplay from Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie * Banjo and Kazooie's default moveset consists of many of the unlockable moves from the first two games. Upon starting a new file, players will begin their quest with the Jump, Rat-a-Tat-Rap, Beak Barge, Bill Drill, Flap Flip, Talon Trot, Forward Roll, Split-Up, Pack Whack, Sack Pack, Taxi Pack, and Shack Pack moves. ** Instead of Bottles or one of his relatives, the person teaching Banjo and Kazooie new moves this time around is a carrot named Topper, who appeared in the first Banjo-Kazooie game. Topper can only teach the duo moves if they bring him a musical instrument. This is because the new moves in this game revolve around music, and can only be performed if the player has enough Music Notes. ** Some of the returning moves (mostly from Banjo's moveset) have either been slightly retooled or completely reworked: *** Banjo and Kazooie can now move and jump while using Bill Drill, though the effects last for a short time unless the Diamond Beak is equipped *** Split-Up allows Banjo and Kazooie to be separated, juxt like in Banjo-Tooie. This time, however, after Kazooie exits Banjo's backpack, she follows closely behind Banjo at all times, while Banjo is in front, utilizing his own set of moves. As a result, the Split-Up Pads from Banjo-Tooie are now completely gone, meaning that separating the duo is now done simply by pressing the X button at any time. Pressing X again allows Kazooie to hop inside Banjo's backpack. *** The Sack Pack move no longer ables Banjo to cross dangerous terrain, as it instead allows Banjo to jump on enemies (especially those with spiked armor) to defeat them. ***The Shack Pack can no longer allow Banjo to squeeze through tight spaces. However, it makes up for it by allowing Banjo to deflect enemy projectiles. ***The Pack Whack works like it did in Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge; Banjo slams his backpack down onto the ground instead of swinging it around like in Banjo-Tooie. The unlockable Breegull Bash move serves as an extension of the Pack Whack; when the attack button is pressed twice, Kazooie grabs onto Banjo's backpack as soon as he performs the Pack Whack, creating a bigger shockwave. * The main hub world this time around is Captain Blubber's main mode of transportation, the Salty Hippo. Similar to Gruntilda's Lair from the first game, each of the game's levels (known as "Islands") has has a portrait hidden somewhere in the Salty Hippo. Jiggies fill in missing pieces of the level's portrait like a puzzle, and an increasing number is required for each consecutive world. After collecting/winning a Jiggy in a world, instead of the Jiggy being stored in Banjo and Kazooie's own possession like in the other games, it is placed in the Jig-O-Vend machine (returning from Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts). After twisting the crank and withdrawing the number of Jiggies they have recently found, players must use Banjo's Taxi Pack to carry the Jiggy to the level portrait, where it would fill in the missing parts and therefore count as collected. * Banjo can swap Kazooie with a new character, a giant talking banana named Bessie. Like Kazooie, Bessie lives in a backpack, but hers is yellow and resembles a banana peel. Bessie can use her own unique set of moves when Banjo carries her around. * For the first time in a Banjo-Kazooie game, there is a day-and-night cycle. There are two modes that change the time of day: Natural (which changes the time based on the console’s internal clock) and Forced (in which players can simply choose to change the time via the pause menu). The cycle is integrated as an integral part of the game’s level design, missions and collectibles. Islands appear much differently at night than they do in the day, as certain routes that normally cannot be accessed during daytime are now accessible during nighttime. In addition, the Jiggies that appear during the day cannot be collected when it is night, as they are replaced by their nighttime counterpart, the Silver Jiggies, alongside new objectives that correspond to them. * The Bear and Bird‘s most formidable foe, Gruntilda, is prominently featured as an ally and playable character. Whenever the time is switched from day to night, players take over as Gruntilda. The rhyming witch is capable of using her magic broomstick in a number of creative ways such as a chainsaw, motorcycle/jet ski, pogo stick, and automatic sweeper. She is also able to utilize her own skull in a number of creative ways, such as a throwing it at enemies like a bowling ball, or by using her broomstick like a golf club and whacking the skull towards far-away items. Gruntilda even has her own set of Transformations when she visits Wumba Humba (Humba Wumba’s identical twin sister who operates the wigwam at night). When the time is switched from night to day, players take control of Banjo and Kazooie once again. * The game has an RPG-esque inventory screen, allowing characters to store items essential for their journey, ranging from health items, power-ups, and so on. In addition, whenever Banjo uses his Taxi Pack move, the player can open up the inventory screen and see what Banjo is carrying in his backpack. * Mini Jiggies make their debut and create a regular Jiggy if four are collected. * The effects of Kazooie's footwear items are no longer time-limited. Once Kazooie puts on the Claw Clamber Boots, they stay on her feet for as long as the player needs to. However, they are now exclusive to each area of the world they are found in and cannot be brought outside of their respective areas. * When players use a new music move, their Music Note count decreases. If the player does not have any Music Notes, the move cannot be performed. * Glowbos return and, like Banjo-Tooie, are given to Humba Wumba in exchange for transformations. The Mega Glowbo returns as well, but does not change Kazooie into a dragon. Instead, the Mega Glowbo shrinks Banjo, Kazooie and Grunty to the size of a pea. The three retain their movesets, but are now small enough to fit inside Dedede's mouth (or inside his box of video games) n Toothpaste Island. * Towards the end of the game, Banjo and Kazooie can pilot Chuck's powerful robot suit. After the deed to Spiral Mountain has been obtained, the robot suit can be brought to any world in the game. Missions |- ! Neander Island |- !The second island in the game is a museum featuring fosslis, skeletons and other artifacts from prehistoric times. When night falls, however, all the exhibits come to life. Some are friendly, but others will mindlessly attack the player. |- | |- ! Slapsticle Island |- !The third island is a Christmas-themed ice world that resembles a Looney Tunes cartoon. Many Golden Age-era toon cliches such as anvils and TNT are scattered throughout the island. |- ! |- ! Machine Island |- !The fourth island is completely mechanized, with trees constructed out of car parts and lakes filled with motor oil. There is also a factory that manufactures numerous products. |- | |- ! Toothpaste Island |- !The fifth islsnd is another ice world, but this time the snow is made out of toothpaste. |- | |- ! Klondike Island |- !The sixth island is a Wild West themed world. There is a mine filled with gold. |- | |- ! Rainforecity Island |- !The seventh world in the game is a modern metropolis mixed with a rainforest. As a result, many of the inhabitants are sharply dressed, intelligent monkeys. |- | |- ! Girder Island |- !The eighth world is a busy, bustling construction site. Machines and other equipment will either help or hinder the player, and like a real construction site, it's always wise to wear a hard hat. |- | |- ! Coneybeard Island |- !In the game's ninth and final world, Captain Blackeye has transformed Spiral Mountain into his own personal amusement park, with Gruntilda's Lair having been been repurposed as the park's main attraction, the Fortress of Fun. Banjo and co. must navigate through the Fortress of Fun to get to Blackeye himself and put an end to his evil scheme once and for all. |- ! |} Characters Good Guys Bad Guys Moves Banjo, Kazooie and Grunty have their own wide assortment of unique moves. Banjo-Kazooie's Moves Default Moves Basic Moves Enhanced Moves Bessie's Moves Note: Banjo must wear Bessie in order to use these moves. Players can visit Bessie's house and swap Kazooie with Bessie. Musical Moves Gruntilda's Moves Chuck's Robot Suit Moves Quotes See List of character quotes in Banjo is Back! Trivia Easter Eggs * Banjo's Lickitoad transformation is a reference to Viva Pinata, where the Lickitoad species originated. * Whenever the Talon Trot move is used for an extended period of time (in other words, after 3 minutes have passed), Banjo's animation will change while Kazooie still carries him, depending on where the Talon Trot is used: ** On Overture Island, Banjo will twiddle his thumbs and occassionally whistle the Banjo-Kazooie pause theme. ** On Neander Island, Banjo will be fast asleep, snoring loudly. ** On Rainforecity Island, Banjo will read the newspaper. ** On Toothpaste Island, Banjo will brush his teeth. ** On Machine Island, Banjo will pull out a Game Boy Advance SP and play either Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge or Banjo-Pilot. General * BiggestKirbyFanEver1994 originally came up with the idea for this fan game over at Fantendo. However, development for the game actually started out as a crossover between the Mario and Kirby franchises known as Super Mario Captains. It ultimately ended up being a Banjo-Kazooie game, and the idea for a Mario/Kirby crossover would eventually become Super Mario Land 4: Gotta Catch 'Em All!. * This is the first Banjo-Kazooie game of several things: ** The first in which Gruntilda is not the main villain, and the second in the series (after Banjo-Pilot) in which she is not a villain at all, at least until the very end of the game. ** The first time the Lickitoad Banjo and Pumpkin Grunty transformations are fully playable. ** This is also the second time Banjo and Grunty turn into these transformations overall, following Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, though only during a cutscene. ** The first time since Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge in which the Bill Drill appears but the Breegull Bash does not. ** The first to prominently feature appearances of characters not created by Rare. ** Tooty's first appearance in over 20 years (not counting her cameos in Banjo-Tooie and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) and her last overall appearance in the Banjo-Kazooie series. ** Tooty is also the second female character to have died on screen after Grunty, and the third character to have died overall after Bottles. However, unlike Grunty and Bottles, who suceeded in coming back from the dead, Tooty remains dead and will not be brought back due to Grunty turning her into cheese and eating her. * The game's title originated from a tag line for one of the teaser trailers for Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. BiggestKirbyFanEver1994 specifically chose this title to represent the Banjo-Kazooie series returning to its roots. * Ironically, despite using the classic Banjo-Kazooie gameplay, the characters in Banjo is Back! retain the blocky angular style of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. * The game spawned a CGI animated series called Banjo is Back Again! Category:Banjo is Back!